by deun ivory

I have grown fascinated by this idea that so much of what is manifested in our lives is a product of our perspective.

when I begin to think about my past + the pessimistic disposition that used to paralyze me, I realize that had I not changed my outlook on life, I wouldn't be here, today, rejoicing in the abundance of beautiful opportunities that have emerged because of my intentional way of looking at life.

I remember drowning in my doubts + always wondering:

what if I fail? what if I'm not successful? or what if I don't have what it takes to go this route?

all of these ridiculous outcomes pointed to a bigger issue: my belief that I wasn't good enough + my fear of failure. I held on to this ideology that failing, in any capacity, was ascribed to my value as a human being. Instead of viewing failure as a learning opportunity, I feared this idea of being incompetent. and naturally, this discouraged me from putting myself out there as a creative + opening myself up to receive my blessings.

this mindset persisted until I grew tired of racking up regrets.

I wanted to give myself a chance to create a life that I enjoyed, which is the life I have now. and that came with the active decision to stop terrorizing my mind with negative thoughts.

throughout my challenge to defeat pessimism, I put a few things into practice.

1. I had to develop self-confidence, which required me to really spend time in God's word + find affirmation in the way He looks at me.

what I learned: when I truly feel good about who I am, I reward myself with decisions that are advantageous to things I want to accomplish.

2. I had to cultivate a more mindful approach in how I expressed myself. for example, instead of saying: "I don't think I have what it takes to do this or that!", I'd combat that negativity by saying: "I'm willing to bet on myself + explore my talents to see where they take me."

what I learned: the weight of my words matter. my choice of rhetoric has the power to either encourage me or keep me in fear.

3. I had to be critical of my surroundings + what I allowed to occupy my space.

what I learned: I am a reflection of the things I consume. If I revel in good thoughts, I create space for good things to manifest.

4. I had to do the work of someone who actually believed in themselves, which required me to SHARE MY WORK.

what I learned: "unsuccessful people make decisions based on their current situations. successful people make decisions based on where they want to be." - unknown

the ultimate lesson is this: once my mindset shifted, so did my actions. it became clear to me that the beauty of life was rooted in my perspective: something so small but makes a world of difference. when I allowed doubts to occupy my mind, I rejected the idea that I could be happy + successful in my own right. I didn't have the courage to give myself a chance to explore my potential because I always expected the worst. when I realized that I could opt of that mindset, I did + my life hasn't been the same since.

God has given us the authority to plant good seeds + make room for amazing opportunities to present themselves. my hope is that you don't let your fears rob you of your ambitions + that you experience all the blessings that are accessible to you by way of good thoughts, good energy + healthy anticipations.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. if you struggle with pessimism, please share any methods you use to combat those thoughts of negativity! drop a response, below! let's chat :)